The Face I Can't Forget
by ReyOrganaSolo
Summary: Star Wars meets Notting Hill. In this AU, Han Solo meets Princess Leia post-Rebellion and falls in love with the most famous woman in the galaxy.
1. Chapter 1

Please review if you enjoy this story so I know someone is reading it. :)

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Of course, Han Solo knew who the Princess of Alderaan was and always thought she was incredible - but she existed on a planet thousands of miles from his, literally and metaphorically. He lived on Corellia - not a terrible place to live, and, although she was a celebrity without a home, the entire galaxy had adopted her as their own.

A pilot his whole adult life, Han had only recently assumed an alluvial existence on his home planet. Two years earlier, a severe hand injury ended his galactic freedom. The roving spirit now found himself unexpectedly grounded for the first time in his life.

Han worked and lived in the Teeno Village district, a haven for broke artists, located near Coronet City. No, the ex-pilot wasn't a painter, writer, performer, or creator of anything tangible. In fact, only one kinship linked him to the other residents: he was also dirt poor.

Han rented a small loft in the heart of the district's bustling outdoor market. Despite living amid lively cafes, art galleries, and arts & crafts booths, the asocial individual remained free from serious relationships. Despite many a woman's best efforts, he lived as a content bachelor, favoring meaningless flings over long-term entanglements.

Despite his allegiance to single life, Han had developed several friendships over the last few years. He lived with his former co-pilot and best friend, a Wookiee named Chewbacca. He had also reconnected with his only serious past girlfriend: Jessa, a successful marketing executive who lived in downtown Coronet City. Han had even developed a friendly rapport with his ex-flame's new husband, Hertz Reemin, a soft-spoken mechanic with a wry sense of humor.

It was just another average day when Han walked through the packed street to work. As he entered his store bearing the uninspired name, The Pilot's Shop, a repository that he'd purchased with piddling savings from his suspended smuggling operation, he nodded at Chewbacca who manned the cash register. The morning started like any other. All in all, Han had little reason to believe that his life would soon change forever.

"Any sales today?" he asked his partner, flinching before he even heard the answer.

"One stressed mother bought her bratty kid a bag of space ice cream," Chewbacca informed him. "He screamed and cried until she caved into his temper tantrum."

"Great," Han grumbled. "That purchase will pay for five minutes of our electricity this month."

"Want me to grab us some kafe?" the Wookiee asked. "Maybe it'll ease the pain of this morning's bad sales."

"Buy me half a cup. That's all I can afford."

Chewbacca growled in agreement. He grabbed several credits from the cash register before bolting toward the door. As the Wookiee left, he nearly crashed into a female customer entering the shop.

Han scribbled dismal sales figures on a notepad and casually glanced at the new patron before returning to his work. When a startling realization suddenly hit him, he abruptly returned his gaze to the attractive woman. He studied the petite brunette with a puzzled expression, but she avoided eye contact with him. Instead, she ran an index finger along a row of children's picture books lining a crowded shelf.

"Can I help you?" Han asked.

"No, thank you," she murmured softly. "I'm just looking for a gift for my friend's child."

Her voice instantly confirmed his suspicions. The legendary Princess Leia of Alderaan, the most famous star in the galaxy, stood inside his store. Years earlier, the courageous woman risked her prominent position in the Imperial Senate to work as an undercover informant for the Rebel Alliance, a team of mavericks seeking to overthrow the oppressive Empire. When the Imperial faction discovered the royalty's betrayal, they abducted her, holding her prisoner on the Death Star, a massive space station and superweapon capable of destroying entire civilizations in seconds. For weeks, the Imperial army, led by the terrifying Darth Vader, tortured the princess hoping to intimidate her into revealing the hidden Rebel base's location, but she refused to cooperate. In retaliation, the Empire obliterated Alderaan, the peaceful home planet of the princess, killing her parents, loved ones, and millions of innocent people.

Over the next three years, the Princess helped the Rebels defeat the Imperialists in several wars, including the Battles of Yavin and Endor. Rumors circulated that her brother, a Jedi named Luke Skywalker, killed both Vader and his boss Emperor Palpatine in a lightsaber duel aboard the second Death Star, but no one had ever confirmed or denied the rampant gossip. Regardless, the siblings became celebrated war heroes, and their post-Rebellion lives often dominated newspaper and holoshows. Recently, Princess Leia had assumed a senatorial role with the freshly-formed New Republic.

Han couldn't help watching the Princess as she flipped through various books. He had always found her beautiful, but she looked even more stunning in person. His heart beat faster when the Rebel heroine edged closer to him to examine an oversized picture book that caught her eye.

"That book stinks- just in case, your browsing turned to buying," Han admitted. "You'd be wasting your credits."

"Is that so?" she asked. A trace of amusement lit her lovely features as she paused to consider his honesty.

"Yeah," he answered, scooping up a book behind the counter and holding it out to her. "This book is much better. I think the man who wrote and illustrated it has actually piloted a ship, which helps."

"Thank you," the Princess politely replied, taking the book and examining its contents. "I will consider your advice."

Suddenly, Han noticed suspicious movement on the store security camera. He had studied the monitor just in time to see the only other customer in the shop, a middle-aged man wearing a large coat, slip a book into his pants.

"Give me a second," he told the Princess.

"I'm just browsing," the shoplifter told the owner who approached him with a glare.

"Bad news, pal," Han muttered, gesturing his thumb to the security camera. "I saw you shove that book down your pants."

"What book?" the man asked.

"The one in your pants."

"I don't have a book in my pants."

"Well then we have a problem because I say you do," Han answered, a slight growl punctuating his thinly-veiled threat.

The man stepped away from the ex-pilot. Alarm washed over his pale face. He swallowed nervously before speaking again.

"What if a book accidentally fell into my pants?" he asked.

"Then you have five seconds to fish out the Pilot's Guide to Coruscant from your pants," Han warned. "You then have another five seconds to wipe your slime from it and put it back on the shelf or buy it. Something tells me you won't choose the final option."

The thief slowly turned his back to the shop owner and pulled the book from his pants. He wiped it with his shirt sleeve and placed it on a nearby shelf, careful to evade Han's scowl. He headed toward the exit but stopped the moment he spotted the Princess, who stood at the front counter holding a handful of children's books, watching the entire exchange.

"Excuse me," the shoplifter called to the beautiful woman, fishing a crumpled piece of paper from his shirt pocket. "Can I have your autograph?"

"What's your name?" Princess Leia asked, her pink lips forming a thin, disapproving line.

"Ruppar," the man answered.

The Princess frowned at him for a moment. Finally, she scribbled some words on the paper and returned it to Ruppar without even looking at him.

"What does it say?" the thief asked, struggling to read the signature.

"It's my autograph," she answered, an overly-sweet timbre coating her response. "I also wrote that you belong in jail."

Han laughed loudly. He glanced appreciatively at the senator, admiring her rarely-seen humorous side.

"Nice one," Ruppar responded with a sly smile. "Do you want my comlink number?"

"Tempting," the Princess replied with a straight face. "But no."

The thief shrugged, unbothered by her rejection. Then the man walked out the door without uttering another word. For a moment, the princess and former pilot stood staring after him.

"Sorry about that man," Han apologized.

"No, that's fine," Princess Leia assured him. "I was going to steal a book, but I've changed my mind."

Han grinned at her, growing more smitten by the minute. The princess handed him several credits. On a whim, he threw an extra book into her bag and gave her the purchase.

"Your friend's kid might enjoy reading this book," he said, offering her another smile.

"Thank you," she answered. "I'm sure little Poe will love all these books. I should bring him by your shop sometime. He loves anything related to space. He wants to be a pilot someday."

"He couldn't have chosen a better profession," Han proudly replied.

"What about shop keeper?" the Princess asked in a teasing tone.

"Nah," he replied. "This job pays the bills. Flying is my passion. I'd still be navigating the skies if I could."

When she tossed him an inquisitive look, Han held up his hand and waved it.

"Hand injury keeps me planet-bound, at least for now," he explained.

The princess nodded slightly at him. The two gazed at one another for a brief moment, each clearly intrigued by the other, neither wanting their conversation to end. Finally, the Princess broke the silence by grabbing her shopping bag from the wooden counter.

"Thank you," she said, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "I enjoyed taking that criminal down a notch with you."

"I liked it, too" Han answered in a daze. "We should do it again sometime."

"See you," she said in a light tone.

Just as Han summoned the courage to ask the Princess for her comlink number, she turned away from him and headed toward the door. The enamored man's heart sank. He kept his gaze on the gorgeous politician until she had vanished from his sight.

Seconds later, Chewbacca returned with two servings of coffee. He set a cup in front of his friend and lazily stretched his back, growling loudly.

"You'll never believe who was just inside the shop," Han told him.

"Who?" the Wookiee asked, standing up straighter and scanning the store. "Was it someone famous?"

"Never mind," he quickly replied, suddenly wanting to maintain the privacy of the princess. "It was no one."


	2. Chapter 2

I want to thank everybody who left a review. It's so encouraging to know people are reading and enjoying the story.

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An hour later, Han replayed his celebrity encounter while waiting for his to-go order at a local dive. The Princess had surprised him. He'd always found her gorgeous, but she was also funny and down-to-earth.

Once Han got his sandwich and blumfruit juice, he walked back toward The Pilot's Shop. Still consumed with thoughts of Princess Leia, he turned a corner and crashed right into her. His drink spilled everywhere.

The Princess didn't even gasp upon impact. Instead, she reached under her dress for something. Upon recognizing Han, she removed her hand from her leg and placed it on her hip instead.

 _A blaster_ , Han realized. _She's got a weapon strapped to her thigh. That's hot._

No longer distracted by the crash, the Princess finally noticed her wet outfit. Irritation flashed across her face. The blue drink had soiled her white sundress.

"Great," she snapped. "You ruined my outfit."

"Let me help," Han offered, grabbing napkins from his bag of food. Not thinking, he wiped the princess's dress, nearly touching her breasts.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked, shoving him away from her, "Keep your hands to yourself."

"Sorry. I was only trying to help. I'll pay for your cleaning costs."

"That's not necessary. I just need to find my ride before someone takes my picture. The press would love to catch me looking like a slob."

"Can I do anything?"

"You've done enough."

Han sharply sucked in his breath. His jaw tightened, and he narrowed his eyes at her. She was testing his patience. After all, he hadn't intentionally ruined her dress.

 _There's that royal attitude,_ he thought, grinning a bit despite his annoyance.

"You find this funny?" she asked in an incredulous tone.

After Han's accident had ended his flying career, he'd lost his trademark swagger and confidence. Those who knew him before the injury were stunned to see him transform into a quiet, more pensive man. Suddenly, the Princess's haughty behavior awakened Han's dormant vitality. His brazen personality reemerged to challenge her.

"Sorry, Your Highness," he scoffed. "How exactly did you defeat the Empire when something simple - like washing squashed blums from a dress - is so traumatic for you?"

The Princess didn't answer, averting her eyes as she gazed at her dress. Han wondered if she'd even heard his sharp reply, but he got his answer when he saw her flushed cheeks. She looked embarrassed and contrite.

"Look, I live across the street," Han continued in a softer tone. "You can use my apartment to clean up or change into something else."

The Princess eyed the shopping bags she carried; most held new clothes. Using her secret Jedi skills, she gently probed Han's mind and found only sincerity and remorse.

"Where do you live?" she asked.

"Over there," he answered, motioning to a maroon door across the street. "That's my place."

When the Princess studied Han again, he gave her a crooked grin that set her heart racing. Darn it. He was too handsome.

 _Get it together,_ she scolded herself

"Come on. You plowed into a man who lives in an apartment just 50 yards away. Those are astronomical odds. Take advantage of it."

"You ran into me," she said, regaining her fiery temperament. "I pay attention to my surroundings. You clearly do not."

"I was busy thinking of you."

"Sure you were."

"I was," he insisted. "I was kicking myself for not asking you out earlier. I even planned the date we'd never have. We would have started the evening with a visit to a nearby prison followed by a nice dinner."

"A prison?" the Princess demanded. "What does that mean?"

"Yeah, a prison," Han repeated easily. "Thought we'd have had fun interrogating criminals together, like old times."

"I'm just not sure anymore who would be the good cop and who would play the bad cop," he added, smirking.

The Princess's resolve to stay angry vanished. A slight smile betrayed her. She had deflected many obnoxious advances over the years, but the shop owner affected her for reasons she didn't understand.

"What do you say?" he asked again. "Wanna use my place to freshen up?"

"Okay. That would be great. Thank you."

Without warning, anxiety washed over Han. He hadn't weighed his offer. His apartment was a pigsty. Tools cluttered the living room, dirty dishes lined the kitchen counter, and Wookiee hair covered the carpets. He almost regretted his invitation, but he hid apprehension.

A moment later, Princess Leia entered Han's tiny apartment. She hovered hesitantly by the front door while her host raced about cleaning the messy home. At one point, he tossed two cardboard pizza boxes into an overstuffed trash can.

"My roommate is a slob," he explained. "Sorry."

"It's fine."

"I've been too busy to rent a bigger apartment," Han lied.

"I like intimate places. When you grow up in a big, lonely..." She stopped mid-sentence, trailing off with a sheepish shrug. A blush colored her stunning face.

Han found her modesty endearing. The entire galaxy knew that the Princess of Alderaan had lived in a fancy palace. Stating the obvious wasn't a big deal, but she seemed mortified by her near admission. Many celebrities flaunted their fame, but she downplayed hers.

Han also felt sympathetic toward the Princess. She had probably felt lonely as a child, growing up in a giant castle with only adults for company. No wonder she matured so fast, leaving home at eighteen to become a Senator.

"There's the refresher," he said, motioning to a white door by the stairs.

Alarm lit his hazel eyes when he noticed a wet bath towel hanging from the door knob. In one fluid movement, Han grabbed the offending item and flung it behind him.

"Or you can use my bedroom," he added.

"The refresher is fine. Thank you."

After she had shut the door, Han resumed cleaning the place. He was silently cursing Chewie for acting like a slob when a wicked realization hit him. The Princess was removing her clothes inside his apartment, just a few feet away from him. Feeling guilty, he coughed loudly, as if the act could extract the leering thoughts from his mind.

Moments later the Princess emerged from the refresher wearing a simple dark skirt and a purple halter top. Her long hair, formerly styled in a bun, now hung in a single braid. She looked exquisite. Han suppressed a smile when she tugged self-consciously at her skirt's hemline. Nothing was sexier than a gorgeous woman oblivious to her beauty.

"How about a cup of kaffe?" he asked, hoping to extend their time together.

"No, thank you."

"Tea?"

"No, thank you."

"What about a glass of muja juice?"

"I've had enough juice today," she deadpanned.

"Definitely not juice," he agreed, struggling to keep a straight face. "Would you like to nibble on something instead?"

The Princess raised an eyebrow, and Han flashed her an unapologetic grin.

"No."

"I just bought fresh fruit. Do you like shuuras?"

"No."

"Yeah, they're awful, but my roommate loves them. They're too sweet, too sticky. Takes forever to wash them off your hands."

The Princess didn't reply. She just regarded him with a tickled expression.

"How about a slice of pineapple - or an orange?" he persisted.

"No, thank you."

"Do you always say 'no' to everything?"

"No."

Han grinned, smitten. The Princess offered him a faint smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Then she glanced at her watch and frowned.

"I have to find my ride," she remarked. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"No problem," he answered. "Mind if I state the obvious before you leave?"

The Princess cocked her head quizzically at him.

"You're beautiful," he said.

The Princess blinked in disbelief. Another blush colored her cheeks.

"Thank you," she answered so softly that he strained to hear her.

Han purposefully beat the princess to the door. He opened it slowly, partly blocking her exit. Once again, the couple gazed at each other for a long time. Han remained rooted to the door, wishing she wouldn't leave.

"I should go," she reiterated.

"Of course," he answered, hiding his disappointment. "It was nice meeting you. Surreal but nice."

The Princess nodded. Han reluctantly cleared her path and held the door open for her. She left his apartment without even saying goodbye.

Alone with his thoughts, Han began second-guessing their entire interaction. He had flirted so brazenly with her. Sure, the smooth talker had always pursued women with a certain assertiveness, but she was a princess and a respected Senator. Had he gone too far?

Before he could further analyze their encounter, the doorbell rang. Although the Princess had left only seconds earlier, he was still surprised to find her standing on the other side of the door.

"I forgot my shopping bags," she explained.

"Come in," Han answered, letting her inside again.

He ran into the refresher and retrieved her belongings. When he returned, the Princess didn't take her items from him. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed him tenderly on his lips.

For a few seconds, Han convinced himself it was a dream - all of it. He hadn't actually met the Princess, nor had he flirted with her several times. The kiss she was planting on him? That was the best part of his dream. Surely, his alarm would wake him at any moment. Except the longer the kissed lasted, the more reality set in. Oh hell yes. It was really happening. By the time he was reaching to pull her closer, she had pulled away from him.

The pair stood in his apartment foyer silently studying one another for a long time. The Princess wore an expression that alternated between glee and shock. Han simply beamed.

"Sorry about the 'surreal but nice' comment," he muttered. "It was mushy."

"Don't worry about it," she teased. "Your shuura monologue was the real low point."

Just as Han started to kiss the Princess again, the door opened. Chewbacca announced his arrival with a loud roar. He grunted at his roommate as he walked by, unconscious of royalty standing in the room, and stomped upstairs to his bedroom.

"My roommate," Han explained.

The Princess appeared lost in her thoughts. She also looked utterly horrified by her earlier actions.

"It's probably best not to tell anyone about this," she advised.

"Right," Han agreed, disguising his hurt. "Don't worry about it."

For the first time since he'd met her, the Princess also looked riddled with doubt. The usually poised woman opened her mouth to speak, only to promptly shut it. Without saying another word, she grabbed her bags from him and hurried out the door.

Han leaned against the door frame watching the Princess dash into the turgid market. Despite the letdown, he couldn't help laughing at a ridiculous sight. The most stunning woman he had ever met was trying to disappear into a sea of commoners.


	3. Chapter 3

Almost a week had passed since Han had met the beautiful Princess and shared an unexpected kiss with the most famous woman in the galaxy. Although the lovestruck man hadn't told a soul about their encounter, she had since dominated his thoughts nearly nonstop. Lately, he even watched the evening holo-news hoping to catch a glimpse of her. To his disappointment, she hadn't appeared on any reports. A quick search on his comlink revealed that the Senate was on recess, which explained why the princess wasn't in Coruscant and was perhaps vacationing in Corellia.

Han closed The Pilot's Shop every first day of the week. Enjoying their day off, Chewbacca and he were drinking beers on the roof of their apartment. Taking advantage of a flight path that ran over their apartment building, they often relaxed outdoors watching ships soar through the sky.

"The landlord called back about the broken clothes washer," Chewbacca said. "He's coming over tomorrow to install a new one."

"We're running the shop all day tomorrow," Han grumbled. "Jerk should give us more than a day's notice when he's going to show up."

"He called last week," the Wookiee admitted with a sheepish shrug. "Sorry. I forgot to tell you."

"Are there any other messages you forgot to give me?"

"No," Chewbacca assured him. "Well, yes."

"Well, which is it?"

"Yes, there was one another call."

"And?"

"Some human woman named Leia called last week. She also left a message."

Han froze for a moment. Had he heard correctly? Nah, couldn't be.

"Who'd you say called?"

"Someone named Leia," Chewbacca answered. "I remember the name because it's the same one as that princess turned Senator."

Han sat up straighter in his chair. His heart raced but he tried to sound indifferent.

"What'd she say?"

"It was weird. She said, 'Hi, it's Leia. Call me at The Regnant, but ask for _.' Then she gave a different name."

"What was it?"

"I don't remember."

"Didn't you write down the message?"

"No."

"Did you save the message?"

"No."

Han suppressed an enraged groan and ran his fingers through his hair. How hard was it to keep a voice message? He fought the nagging urge to knock Chewbacca out of his chair.

Two minutes later, Han had The Regnant's number and was furiously dialing it. He let out a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts. Aware that Chewbacca was throwing him a teasing look, he held up his index finger as a warning sign to keep quiet.

"Thank you for calling The Regnant," a man with impeccable elocution answered. "How may I help you today?"

"Leia Organa's room," Han said with more swagger than he felt.

"I'm sorry," the concierge replied. "We don't have anyone here by that name."

"I know that. She's probably using another name for privacy reasons, but my roommate erased her voice message with that information."

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you, sir."

"Come on. Help a fellow out."

"Is there anything else I can assist you with, sir?"

Han threw up his hands in frustration.

"Try Ranteer," the Wookie suddenly suggested.

Han looked at Chewbacca in surprise. He rubbed his forehead uneasily before speaking again.

"Does Ranteer mean anything?" he muttered to the man on the other line.

"I'll put you right through, sir."

"It worked," a stunned Han whispered to Chewbacca.

His friend gave him a thumbs up and returned to his beer.

"Hello?" the Princess's voice greeted him.

"Hi," he answered awkwardly. "It's Han Solo. I - uh - work in the pilot shop."

"You're a suave one," she answered in a somewhat frosty tone. "Waiting four days to call."

"No," he apologized. "My roommate didn't give me your message until... yesterday."

It wouldn't kill the Princess to think he had at least waited a day to contact her.

"Oh, okay," she murmured. Her voice softened a little.

"Would you like to meet for drinks?" Han asked before he lost his nerve.

"I'm overbooked this week," she answered. "But yes, let's try it."

 _Holy bantha shit. She said yes._

"How about we meet here at four tomorrow afternoon?" the Princess asked.

"I'll be there," he promised, hoping his enthusiasm wasn't too apparent.

After the call had ended, Han gazed at the sky in disbelief. Did he actually have a date with the Princess? It was a date, right?

"You never get worked up over a woman," the Wookiee remarked.

"Who's worked up?" Han asked in a guarded tone.

"When are you meeting her?"

"Tomorrow."

"Jerk should have given you more notice," Chewbacca joked, throwing his friend's earlier words back at him.

"Shut up," Han replied.


End file.
